GREENUP, Ky. – Transportation Cabinet officials joined state legislators and community leaders today to cut the ribbon on Greenup’s new Main Street bridge, celebrating a $6.2 million investment in northeast Kentucky infrastructure.

From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 9:

Adopt-a-Highway groups poised to ‘summer scrub’ roadsides,
help preserve scenic beauty of the commonwealthSpring Clean Week in northeast Kentucky is June 6-12

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Volunteers will be out in force soon to “summer scrub” state highways throughout Kentucky. The Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has announced that the Adopt-a-Highway Summer Scrub Week will be held June 6-12.

The Federal Aviation Administration has raised concerns that a proposed cable-stayed bridge across the Ohio River between Ironton, Ohio and Russell, Kentucky might interfere with navigation to a nearby airport. The $68 million bridge will replace the current Ironton-Russell Bridge, a narrow, two-lane structure which was completed in 1922.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will demolish a historic bridge in Greenup after all. Concern from the public caused the cabinet to reconsider demolishing the bridge–which is on the National Registrar of Historic Places; however, no one came forward to offer to maintain the bridge, so it will be demolished to make way for a replacement. The current bridge has been closed since 2003 when an inspection found it was unsafe to carry traffic.

Progress is once again visible on the U.S. Grant Bridge south of Portsmouth, Ohio. A new bridge is being constructed over the Ohio River on the site of a bridge demolished in 2001. The Ohio Department of Transportation has a scheduled opening date of October 31, 2006 for the new bridge.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced that the new U.S. Grant Bridge over the Ohio River at Portsmouth, Ohio should be open to traffic in late-2006. The new cable-stayed bridge for US 23 was originally to be opened in 2004.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently held a meeting in Greenup to discuss options for the replacement of an aging bridge at the city’s west end. The bridge which was constructed in 1884 and has been closed to traffic—due to structural decay—since at least 2003. Three options for replacing the bridge were presented:

No build. Routine maintenance would continue to be performed on the routes which remain open. $0.

Main Street Bridge Replacement. The bridge on KY 2541 would be replaced. $2 million.

On May 28 through May 30, the Greenup County Tourism and Convention Commission will hold a festival at the Bennett's Mill covered bridge. The bridge is located about eight miles from South Shore along KY 7.

Transportation Cabinet Secretary Bailey told state legislators on Wednesday that no projects were cut from this year's version of the Six Year Highway plan; however, some projects have delayed due to the states budget problems.

The list of projects is too long to list here; however, some notable projects are listed below.

$118 million for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Bridges Project. Some of this money will be raised by selling bonds that would be repaid when promised federal funding is allocated for the project.

$78 million for reconstruction of the Owensboro bypass to the east of its current alignment. This is meant to improve access to the William H. Natcher Bridge.

Widening of I-64 from Louisville to Shelbyville.

Widening of I-65 from the Tennessee State Line to Bowling Green.

Widening of I-75 in Scott and Grant counties.

Southern extensions of both the Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway and the William H. Natcher Parwkay.

A notable absence from the list is funding for replacing the I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River; however, the project remains on the unscheduled needs list and officials claim that it is still a priority. Construction on the project is still over a decade away.

This year the transportation cabinet has split the list into projects that will receive federal funding and projects that will not receive federal funding. Projects that will be funded only by the state are expected to be delayed and will be prioritized by need.

Update (Feb. 29, 2004): More information about projects in particular areas can be found here.

The Transportation Cabinet will begin providing funds to county road agencies using a new formula. Greenup County Judge-Executive Bobby Carpenter feared that this new formula might result in a $200,000 cut to his county's road funds; however, the state says that it will still be paying the same amount. The new plan will spread the funds out over the course of the fiscal year, instead of the lump sum payments used previously.

The city of Greenup plans to conduct a survey to determine how local residents feel about the one lane bridge over the mouth of the Little Sandy River. The bridge, which was built in 1884, is slated for demolition later this year.

Local residents have stepped up efforts to save a one-lane bridge over the mouth of the Little Sandy River. The bridge, built in 1884, was recently closed after it was deemed unsafe for traffic. The transportation cabinet plans to demolish the bridge and replace the span later in 2004.

The transportation cabinet will dismantle a one-lane steel bridge over the Little Sandy River in Greenup despite some protests. The span, constructed in the 1880s, has been closed to traffic due to structural decay. The span will be replaced sometime in 2004 or 2005.

The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to soon release more information about the design of a new bridge over the Ohio River between Russell, Kentucky and Ironton, Ohio. The bridge will be a cable-stayed bridge.

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge over Tygarts Creek could be reopened by Nov. 1. The bridge, originally construction in 1850, was closed and dismantled in 2001. Under contract with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Intech Contracting reconstructed the bridge to historic specification and using as much of the real bridge as possible.

The section of the Northeastern Kentucky Industrial Parkway between KY 207 and US 23 at Wurtland opened on Thursday, Sept. 25. The two lane highway connecting I-64 to US 23 is intended to provide improved access to industrial development in Greenup County.

Pond Run Road, which is part of both KY 244 and KY 750, north of US 23 in Raceland will see improvements thanks to a $300,000 grant from the federal government. The road will be widened from US 23 to the tunnels underneath the CSX rail yard. Widening on part of KY 750 south of US 23 was completed last year.

On Wednesday, state officials re-dedicated the AA Highway in honor of former Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. Brown was governor from 1979 to 1983 and was influential in the construction of the highway across northern Kentucky.

The Bennett's Mill bridge, a covered bridge which has crossed Tygarts Creek in Greenup County since the 1850s, will not be returned to the county this month. In interest of historic accuracy, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is re-evaluating the design of the bridge. New information has lead some to believe that the camber of the bridge is less than what had originally been thought.

The bridge connects East Tygarts Creek Road and KY 7. The bridge was closed to traffic by county officials in 2001 when it was noticed that the bridge was listing. The bridge was removed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and transported to Lexington for historic preservation work. Officials said the bridge needed to be removed because internal supports were deteriorating. The preservation contract specifies that the project should use as much of the original lumber as possible.

The Ohio Department of Transportation installed falcon birdhouses on the Ironton-Russell Bridge. The birdhouses were placed on the opposite of the bridge from the sidewalk to discourage interaction between the birds and pedestrians on the bridge.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has been monitoring the temperature of the Ironton-Russell Bridge. The steel on the aging bridge becomes very brittle when it reaches low temperatures. If the temperature drops below minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, ODOT will temporarily close the bridge.

A bridge on Diederich Boulevard (KY 693) over White Oak Creek in Russell has been renamed in honor of Beverly "Verly" Miller. Miller was killed in action in 1944. The bridge is located on property that was once part of the Miller family farm.

According to this article from the Ashland Daily Independent the third and final phase of the Northeastern Kentucky Industrial Parkway is expected to open by August. The 14 mile two-lane road known as KY 67 will connect I-64 to the EastPark industrial site.

The city of Russell has decline an offering from the Ohio Department of Transportation to take over the Ironton-Russell Bridge. ODOT is planning on replacing and demolishing the bridge by 2008. The 80-year old bridge costs nearly $100,000 per year to inspect and the Russell city council came to the conclusion that this was well beyond the city's budget.

This Ashland Daily Independent article reports that the KYTC is seeking to replace a one lane bridge over Little Sandy into Greenup. Several public meetings have been held and work is expected to begin in late 2002 or early 2003.

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